PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY
by Tribeca
Summary: Response to episode two of season six. What really happened when Sheldon went to Penny's apartment in the middle of the night. Or as I like to call it, deleted scenes we didn't get to see. (Maybe they will be on the special features section of the Season six DVD/Blu-Ray release next year.)


**A/N: Last week I wrote DON'T FORCE ME in response to episode one of season six (The Date Night Variable). Now I offer you PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY (look it up if you don't know what it means, it's fascinating) a version of the second episode of season six (The Decoupling Fluctuation) with a nice Shenny twist…this is what really happened. -wink-**

**I enjoyed this episode. (Except for the fact that I still, still, still don't get why Penny stays with Leonard…a boring love…SHE said it…God!). Some of the words below are taken straight from the actual episode because if you put them in just the right light, you can actually see Shenny right there on the screen. I didn't write any Howard/Bernadette scenes here because they were absolutely perfect just the way they were and I didn't want to screw with perfection. Kudos to whoever wrote that dialog. And the bedroom scene with Penny and Sheldon? Near perfection…I just touched it up a little…you know, to help them out and all. Yeah.**

**One final thought and then I'll get on with the fic. I thought it was huge when, during the movie theater scene, Sheldon looked down the row at Penny _twice_ just to see what she was doing. Now if he didn't want her, why the hell would he care what she was doing?**

**Oh, and just for CYA purposes: I don't own any part of The Big Bang Theory nor do I earn any compensation for anything I write in reference to the show. But oh how I wish I did…own it I mean.**

PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY

"If I tell him I love him, he'll take it the wrong way," the words -words from her own mouth- haunted her as she laid sprawled out on her blue sofa reflecting back on the conversation she had with Amy and Bernadette.

"It's a boring kind of love," that's what she said when she described what she had with Leonard to her friends.

Now she was here in her apartment alone with her thoughts. She knew she was right. Leonard _would_ take it the wrong way if she told him she loved him. She really did love the guy. She just wasn't in love with him. Big difference. Huge difference. Boring kind of love versus heart pounding, insanity laced, all consuming, mind blowing love. She knew without a doubt it existed. She felt it every day, denied it every day, fought against it every day.

They had come close to the heat of this love, felt the hotness of the flames, but neither of them had ever dared to stick their hand in the fire...to take it to the next level. Penny and Sheldon…this love of theirs…burning like a fire that would never be put out.

xxxxxxx

Raj was excited to have a new wingman. Sure, he missed Howard, always would. But that was over; Howard was a married man now. If Raj was honest with himself he knew that Howard's obnoxious presence in bars had never really garnered either of them any hot women. But now he had Stuart and he figured there was no way Stuart could be any worse than Howard. Probably not any better, but certainly not any worse.

Stuart had named them "Coffee and Cream" (and Raj pointed out to Sheldon and Leonard that he was coffee, you know, because of his skin color, least there be any misunderstandings) and taken to fist bumping with Raj. If they couldn't manage to pick up a couple of chicks, well, at least they had each other.

While Coffee and Cream spewed on ad nauseam about their nighttime prowling, it occurred to Sheldon that this could be at least part of the solution he and Penny needed.

"Leonard, maybe you'd like to go with them to meet girls," Sheldon said, offering up an encouraging smile to his friend.

"Why would I be interested? I have Penny," Leonard retorted.

"Yeah, for now," Sheldon said, and then added as an afterthought, "If I were you, I'd get a back-up."

xxxxxxx

She was sweet dreams deep in precious, much needed REM sleep. The click from the door opening caused her to stir just a bit, but only enough to roll over and immerse herself back into peaceful slumber. She had been upset before she went to bed because of the conversation she had with her girlfriends. But when all was said and done, she knew just where she stood. She knew where her heart belonged. Things were not like they should be, not like she wanted them to be, but she knew how he felt about her. And for now that would have to be enough.

It was only when she felt a swoosh of cool air and then heard the beginning of a trio of 'Penny' being whispered did she wake to find him there. He towered above her in his usual plaid, a proud beacon of all that is uncool and over confident and beyond geeky.

"Sheldon! What are you doing in my bedroom?" she half bellowed and half moaned.

He shrieked and then pointed out that _she _had frightened _him_. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and scooted over to give him room to sit on the bed next to her.

"You hair. It smells different."

"Yeah, I know, I tried something new."

"But it's not my…"

"Did you come over here in the middle of the night to discuss my hair care products?"

He reached for a handful of her silky tresses and watched as the strands cascaded through his fingers. She inhaled and closed her eyes, letting his unexpected touch soothe her.

He grinned awkwardly at her and said, "Stop this madness and go back to green apple. You know it's what I like."

"Maybe I wanted to see if you noticed. Maybe I was trying to get your attention by switching it up," she laughed at the absurdity of the conversation concerning her shampoo choice.

"Penny, you always have my attention," he said quietly, lowering his gaze when he realized this admission rendered him vulnerable to her.

She smiled and told him she already knew that and then she swore to him she'd switch back to green apple. Just for him.

He sighed and allowed his eyes to scan over her body. He'd been here before; sitting beside her on a bed…on her bed…on his bed…on that bed in a hotel room that one time they almost gave in to their desires. Almost.

The temptation…God, the temptation.

"Amy told me what you said. That you were thinking of breaking up with Leonard."

She shook her head and told him she had a lot to think about.

"Are you thinking about breaking up with Amy?"

"I'm always thinking about it," he admitted.

She forced her eyes to lock with his, "I saw you holding her hand at the movie."

"I had no choice."

"Oh Sheldon, we've made our choice. Now we just have to live with it."

"Don't hurt my friend," he managed, wishing like hell that he didn't care about his friend's feelings.

"And don't you hurt _my_ friend," she responded solemnly, though she wondered when it was in her life that she had become this girl; the girl who would put a friend's needs and feelings, a friend like Amy Farah Fowler of all people, above her own. This place, California, and these people, her neighbors and friends, had changed her. Changed her forever.

"I don't intend to hurt Amy. I know you love her Penny. She's a good friend to you."

"And I know you love Leonard, Sheldon."

"Platonically," he corrected her.

"I know," she smiled slightly because he was so proper even when they both were hurting.

"It'll happen soon enough," he said, then added "I swear," because he wanted to leave no doubt in her mind of his intentions.

He sighed and attempted to reach for her but pulled back just before his hand landed on her shoulder.

"I should go," he said and then pushed himself off the bed and stood quietly for a moment.

He turned to leave and only stopped when he heard her croak out, "wait."

He paused in the doorway between her bedroom and her living room. He lifted his hand, brought his fingers up to massage his scalp, and exhaled a deep and sad breath.

He heard the gentle creaking of the bed, knew that meant she was rising, sliding her feet into her blindingly pink fuzzy slippers. The small size of the room necessitated only two long strides from her and she was behind him. He stilled when he felt her arms encircle his waist and her head lean into his back, sure that her cheek was pressed delicately against the cotton of his clothing, warm from the heat of his body. Chills raced down his spine when she released a soft, longing sigh.

He brought his hands to hers and placed them atop the coolness of her skin, gently stroking her fingers with his own.

She shifted her head, pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades for a moment, then pulled back just enough to allow space to smooth her lips across the fabric of his robe, exerting just enough pressure to elicit a yearning exhale of breath from his lips.

"Look at me Sheldon," she whispered.

"Penny," his voice tinged with longing, "if I turn around I'll never leave here tonight."

"Then go," she responded resolutely, "just go."

He made to walk away, to just leave her standing there in the night. His hand was on the door to leave and she had already climbed back into her cold and empty bed.

She listened for the door to close, for the lock to pop securely into place. Instead she heard his voice again.

"I can't go."

She felt the mattress shift with his body, felt his trembling hands come to the sides of her face, felt his weight come down on her.

"Stay with me tonight," she heard herself whisper to him and then groaned when she felt him pressing hard into her thigh.

"This is wrong," he sighed before he crushed his lips against hers.

"So wrong," she agreed moments later as her lips trailed down his long, pale white neck.

"Why do you feel this good Penny?" he asked as he pulled back and burned a deeply intense gaze into her eyes.

"Sheldon…it's just sometimes two people…they are meant to be together. And no matter what…"

She felt his hand slide under her top and her brain refused to let her finish a coherent thought.

"No matter what," he mumbled as his mouth traveled across her skin.

She was aware of his fingers teasing the top of the waistband of her shorts. Her own fingers had found _his_ waistband and they both stopped, pausing to consider the ramifications.

"Penny, I'm almost at the point of no return. I won't be able to stop if we don't stop now."

She dropped her arms to her sides and balled her hands into fists, summoning the courage to do the right thing. The right damn thing. She hated the fucking right thing.

"You know we have to stop before we go too far Sheldon. If we cross that line…"

"I think we've already crossed a line," he huffed as he rolled off of her, coming to land close beside her. He kept his hands on her, not really sure if he could move them off even if he wanted to. And God knows he didn't want to.

She worked his robe out of the way and then pushed his shirts up and swirled her fingers lightly across his chest, "Thank God you have on all these layers. You have built in protection, don't you?"

He kissed her because hell, if he'd already crossed some imaginary line and was going to be in trouble for it, he may as well enjoy the fruits of his labor while he could. She kissed him back because she made out with Sheldon every night in her dreams and now she was doing it for real and who knew if she'd ever have this opportunity again. One of them was sure to come to their senses eventually and stop this madness.

"I can rid myself of these layers if you would like," he offered.

"Don't. Your goofy flannel is the only thing keeping us from making what would probably end up being a huge mistake."

"So," he whispered in her ear as his tongue traced the shell of it, "what are the parameters here? We can kiss, we can touch, but we keep our clothes on? There is some kind of imaginary line that we are safe as long as we stay on this side of it, but once crossed, we are in huge mistake territory?"

"Something like that," she hummed and rubbed him gently just were he needed it most, "as long as we don't…you know…do the deed…we can still say we haven't slept together."

"You are suggesting some abstract form of plausible deniability," he registered her thought process, "got it."

"I don't even know what that means," she said as she brought her mouth to his, "but it sounds perfect."

xxxxxxx

It was late when he slipped back into his apartment. He made a quick path to his room and snuggled under his covers just in time to hear Leonard's alarm going off.

"Morning Sheldon," Leonard said as Sheldon stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes as though he'd been sleeping all night long.

"Good morning Leonard," Sheldon nodded.

"We need to talk," Leonard said and Sheldon tried to decipher the weird tone of his voice.

"About what?" Sheldon asked, feigning interest in the numerous boxes of bran cereals resting atop the refrigerator.

"I got up to use the bathroom last night. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you weren't anywhere in the apartment."

"Leonard," he started, then stopped.

"You were with Penny, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, would you care to explain to me what you were doing with my girlfriend in the middle of the night?"

"We were talking," Sheldon hedged, acting incredibly interested in the fiber content of whole wheat.

"So you and Penny weren't having sex then?" He laughed at his own joke, laughed long and hard actually, at the ludicrous idea of Sheldon having sex with Penny (Or with Amy. Or with any other girl on the planet.)

"No Leonard, I did not engage in coitus with Penny," he said because it was the truth. For now.

Leonard casually checked to make sure he observed no twitching in Sheldon's face. It was a dead giveaway if Sheldon was lying. There was no twitching.

Sheldon made a mental note to inform Penny later that her hypothesis of plausible deniability was correct. Thank you Jesus. As his mother would say.

xxxxxxx

Days and weeks and seasons passed…and still they waited…and continued to deny…

xxxxxxx


End file.
